1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a data reproducing apparatus, a data recording and reproducing apparatus, a data reproducing method and a data recording and reproducing method. More particularly, the invention relates to a data reproducing apparatus, a data recording and reproducing apparatus, a data reproducing method and a data recording and reproducing method, each of which is capable of obtaining a highly accurate editing processes (effect processes) such as a cross-fade and a mute on digital data such as audio signal by inserting editing-process-designating information into portions of the reproduced digital data and carrying out the editing processes on the digital data, based on the editing-process-designating information through the use of appropriate data processing means.
2. Description of Relevant Art
A requirement that, for example, one data recording and reproducing means records and reproduces on and from a plurality of data recording and reproducing means the data for audio and/or video concurrently as well as it reproduces said data while recording them with information being provided through the multi-channel for the widespread use of the CATV or the like, has increased in recent years. Said requirement is different from that of the conventional VTR (Video Tape Recorder). To meet the above requirement, video sever or AV (Audio and/or Video) server that records and reproduces the data for audio and/or video by using a recording medium such as a hard disc to which the data is randomly accessible, has been widely available.
Generally, AV server used in a broadcasting station has to maintain a high transmission rate of the data on account of the maintenance of the qualities of picture and sound necessary for broadcasting and to have a large enough storage capacity necessary to record the data for a long time. For this reason, an attempt in such a manner as to use the data recording and reproducing apparatus including a plurality of hard disc drives (HDD), which may store the data for audio and/or video and perform the parallel processing of the data, has been already made thereby allowing the high transmission rate of the data and obtaining a large enough storage capacity. Another attempt in such a manner as to record parity check data has also been made thereby ensuring reliability in the event of causing trouble in any HDD.
Thus, when the contents of programs provided by the stations and the number of channel necessary for a broadcasting form are different, a multi-channel AV server for dealing with effectively variations in usage pattern, for example, VOD (Video On Demand) and NVOD (Near Video On Demand), may be implemented by transmitting through the multi-channel concurrently a plurality of the material data comprising the audio data and/or video data, which have been recorded distributively on the recording media, or by reproducing the same material data received through the multi-channel with a reproducing time shifting.
The data recording and reproducing apparatus used in such an AV server utilizes an RAID (Redundant Arrays of Inexpensive Disks) technology. The RAID comprises a plurality of HDD, each of which is composed of a plurality of hard discs. Said RAID technology was set forth in a thesis, xe2x80x9cA Case for Redundant Arrays of Inexpensive Disks (RAID)xe2x80x9d, ACM SIGMOND Conference, Chicago, III, Jun. 1-3, 1988, authored by D. A. Patterson et al.
In said thesis, the RAID technology is classified by five levels, namely, RAID-1 through RAID-5 levels.
For example, in the RAID-1 level, two data each including same contents are written into two HDDs.
In the RAID-3 level, input data is divided into the data groups having a set length and the data groups are recorded on a plurality of HDDs. Further, parity data that is exclusive OR of the data block corresponding to each of the HDDs are produced. Said parity data is written on another HDD.
In the RAID-5 level, input data is divided into the data blocks being larger than the data groups of the above RAID-3 level, and each of divided data is recorded on each of HDDs as the data block. In this case, the parity data that is issued from exclusive OR of the data block corresponding to each of the HDDs, is recorded on other HDDs as parity block and the parity block is distributed to other HDDs. Regarding the remaining RAID levels, refer to the above thesis.
On the other hand, broadcasting station stores material (data composed of audio and video data: hereinafter called xe2x80x9cthe materialxe2x80x9d) to be used in news program and the like in the video server once. Then, the station edits the material to send out the edited material that is necessary for a program etc. to be broadcast.
When the station edits the different materials so that they put together, video material is often subject to special effects such as wipes and picture-in-picture, while audio material is often subject to editing processes such as a mute, a cross-fade and a fade-out (fade-in) to remove noise from areas before and after junctions (edit points) of the different audio materials.
The conventional VTR previously stores edit flags corresponding to audio signals in ancillary data areas on a recording tape. During data reproduction, the audio signal is subject to an effect process such as a mute based on the edit flag, whereby removal of the audio noise from areas before and after edit points is implemented.
However, the above video server does not store the edited material in the HDD again. In other words, while the above video server sends out the material that has stored once therein to an editor that is connected to the video server, the editor outputs only address information, not the edited material itself.
File system chiefly composing of file entry and record entry manages the material that has been stored once in the HDD of the video server. In this case, each of the record entries is represented by the starting position of address of file recorded on the HDD and the continuous area from the starting position. The edited material output from the editor is composed of information comprising file name, a starting position (address) for the reproduction and a terminating position (address) for the reproduction, exclusive of the edited material itself.
Although it is conceivable that the video server performs editing process on the audio material in the edited material with the audio material being timed appropriately during the sending of the material, there is a fear of sending out the material with the audio noise if the sending of the material is not well timed.
Further, although it is conceivable that the edit flags are stored in the HDD like the process in the VTR, the video server itself has not such a configuration that may store the edit flags because the video server manages the material using the above file system.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a data reproducing apparatus and a data recording and reproducing apparatus each capable of carrying out highly accurate effect processes on the audio material in the case of using randomly accessible recording medium such as the HDD, and to provide a data reproducing method and a data recording and reproducing method, wherein highly accurate effect processes on the audio material may be carried out in the case of using randomly accessible recording medium such as the HDD.
In carrying out the invention and according to one aspect thereof, there is provided a data reproducing apparatus comprising nonlinear accessible recording medium and a plurality of outputting means for processing data read from the recording medium and outputting the processed data to outside, which are accessible to the recording medium in an allocated time slot. In the data reproducing apparatus, the outputting means includes inserting means for inserting editing-process-designating information designating editing process into portions of audio data read from the recording medium, and editing processing means for performing the editing process on the audio data output from the inserting means, based on the editing-process-designating information inserted into the audio data. The data reproducing apparatus of the invention may carry out highly accurate effect processes on the audio material in the case of using randomly accessible recording medium such as the HDD.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a data recording and reproducing apparatus comprising nonlinear accessible recording medium, inputting means for processing data including audio and video data, which is input from outside, and outputting the processed data to the recording medium, and outputting means for processing data read from the recording medium and outputting the processed data to the outside. The inputting means and the outputting means are accessible to the recording medium in an allocated time slot. In the data recording and reproducing apparatus, the outputting means includes inserting means for inserting editing-process-designating information designating editing process into portions of audio data read from the recording medium, and editing processing means for performing the editing process on the audio data output from the inserting means, based on the editing-process-designating information inserted into the audio data. The data recording and reproducing apparatus of the invention may also carry out highly accurate effect processes on the audio material in the case of using randomly accessible recording medium such as the HDD.
According to further aspect of the invention, there is provided a data reproducing method for reproducing the data by using the above data reproducing apparatus, namely, the data reproducing apparatus as claimed in claim 1. The method comprises a first step and a second step. In the first step, the editing-process-designating information designating editing process of the audio data is inserted into portions of audio data read from the recording medium by the inserting means in the outputting means. Further, in the second step, the editing process is performed on the audio data, based on the editing-process-designating information inserted in the first step.
According to still another aspect of the invention, there is provided a data recording and reproducing method for recording and reproducing the data by using the above data recording and reproducing apparatus, namely, the data recording and reproducing apparatus as claimed in claim 5. The method comprises a first step and a second step. In the first step, editing-process-designating information designating editing process is inserted into portions of audio data read from the recording medium by the inserting means in the outputting means. Further, in the second step, the editing process is performed on the audio data, based on the editing-process-designating information inserted in the first step.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent by reference to the following portions of the specification and the accompanying drawings.